Barrett M82A1M

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The Barrett M82 is possibly the most famous .50 calibre anti-materiel rifle. Named for the year it was designed, the M82 is intended for use against high value materiel targets such as parked aircraft, radars and fuel and ammunition stores. The .50 calibre round used in the M82 allows for incendiary or explosive ammunition to be used, which is far more effective in destroying intended targets than all steel ammunition. The M82 is not intended for use against personnel, however it can be used to engage targets beyond the range of other hand held rifles, or when a target is behind cover.

The M82 is not without drawbacks however. It is very heavy and at almost 1.5 metres long it is quite unwieldy and difficult to carry over long distances. It is also not particularly accurate (around 2 MOA), due in part to its semi-automatic design and a lack of military match-grade ammunition, which contains many moving parts. Additionally it is simply overpowered for an anti-personnel role. For these reasons it is not considered a true sniper rifle, and is used in defensive positions where little movement is involved, against hard targets impervious to weaker weapons, and so on. In its intended niche the M82 remains extremely deadly.

The M82A1M variant has some differences to the original M82, such as a removable bipod and muzzle brake. The most obvious variation is the addition of a long Picatinny accessory rail on the top of the receiver that allows for a wide variety of scopes and sighting devices to be fitted. This variant has recently been accepted by the US military as the XM107 Long Range Sniper Rifle.

The M82A1M weighs 13.6 kilograms and has a 5 round detachable box magazine. The maximum effective range is 1000m for personnel and 1500m against materiel targets.